VENTILATORY STRUCTURES IN Cryphocricos barozzii SIGNORET 267 VENTILATORY STRUCTURES IN Cryphocricos barozzii SIGNORET (HETEROPTERA, NAUCOROIDEA) LOPEZ-RUF, M. L.,1 PELLERANO, G. N.2 and BACHMANN, A. O.3 1Museo de La Plata, Departamento de Entomología, Paseo del Bosque, 1900, La Plata, Argentina 2Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad de Buenos Aires. Ciudad Universitaria, Pabellón II, Argentina 3Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales and Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Ciudad Universitaria, Pabellón II, Argentina Correspondence to: Mónica L. Lopez-Ruf, Museo de La Plata, Departamento de Entomología, Paseo del Bosque, 1900, La Plata, Argentina Received November 26, 1998 – Accepted March 9, 1999 – Distributed May 31, 2000 (With 8 figures) ABSTRACT Plastron and spiracular features strongly resemble those of Aphelocheirus aestivalis (Fab.), described by Messner et al. (1981). Plastronal foliose hairs, somewhat irregular shaped are regularly distributed in the plastron. Very numerous tiny openigs on sternites an tergites connect platronal air with a sub- cuticular air film limited internally apparently by a membrane. Aplicated, radial, structure at the proxi- mal end of the tracheae, almost occluding the extremely fine spiracular openings, appear with lesser variations in both species, suggesting close relationships than accepted until now. Key words: insect morphology, spiracles, taxonomy, entomology, heteroptera, naucoroidea. RESUMO Estruturas ventilatórias em Cryphocricos barozzii Signoret (Heteroptera: Naucoroidea) Descrevem-se estruturas muito semelhantes às de Aphelocheirus aestivalis (Fab.) (Messner et al., 1981). Os pêlos plastronais têm forma de folha e encontram-se distribuídos regularmente no plastron. Aber- turas muito pequenas nos esternitos e tergitos conectam o ar plastronal com o ar subcuticular, e estão limitadas internamente por uma membrana. A estrutura na zona próxima à traquéia é similar nas duas espécies comparadas, sugerindo relações mais próximas que as aceitas até agora. Palavras-chave: morfologia de insetos, espiráculos, taxonomia, entomologia, heteroptera, naucoroidea. INTRODUCTION Province). In field the adults of C. barozzii present a shiny air film covering the ‘sensorial organs’ on The species of the Neotropical genus Cry- their venter; the remaining of the plastron, if phocricos are of scientific interest owing to their present, was not visible. Larvae displayed no such very peculiar morphological features. Moreover, shiny areas. Parsons & Hewson (1975) reported C. barozzii Signoret lives in large streams, in an that Polhemus (personal communication) had seen apparently very restricted environment with the same shiny air film in adults of another species swift-flowing water, high turbidity, and at a depth of Cryphocricos. often exceeding three meters. One of the authors Literature concerning C. barozzii is scarce; (M.L.R.) has found many specimens, both adults in most papers this name was applied to other spe- and larvae, at exceptional low water level, on small cies, frequently not recognized with the available ferruginous sandstone islands emerging from the data. The species was rediscovered and recorded Paraná River near Paso de la Patria (Corrientes for the first time from Argentina by López Ruf Rev. Brasil. Biol., 60(2): 267-273 268 LOPEZ-RUF, M. L., PELLERANO, G. N. and BACHMANN, A. O. (1987); thereafter it was redescribed, including its addition they describe “openings” in the plastron, larvae, along with other species from Argentina devoid of foliose setae, which connect with the (López Ruf, 1991, 1996). plastronal air-system and with the subcuticular Parsons & Hewson (1975) investigated two space. Finally, they describe a small crateriform species of Cryphocricos and one of Aphelo- opening at the center of the spiracular scar. cheirus; the species reported as C. barozzii is The life conditions of C. barozzii, not erroneously identified. In their figure 1 the spiracles enabling it to reach the water surface for very long are shown very close to the ‘sensory organs’ they periods, and the occurrence of shiny areas on the describe in the text. Besides, they say that the urosternites and laterotergites, suggest a very second pair of abdominal spiracles and the ‘sen- special structure and function of the plastron and sorial organs’ are hidden under the covering of the whole oxygen-winning system, perhaps like foliose setae, as on the other urites. Finally these that of Aphelocheirus. By direct examination of C. authors mention that Thorp & Crisp (1947) reported barozzii we were unable to identify abdominal “elongate setae” at the ‘sensorial organs’ of spiracles with certainty. Previous examination with Aphelocheirus aestivalis (Fab.), which would be stereomicroscope, and with scanning electronic compressed by the increased pressure, so stimu- microscope (SEM) produced no convincing results lating less interposed setae and warning the insect either. Therefore, we decided to study these against ‘dangerous’ depth. structures with combined techniques, as did Among the scarce literature concerning fine Messner et al. (1981), including histological and, details of the ventilatory structures in this group, for the first time, clarification methods, which it is relevant to mention the paper of Messner et allowed us to examine some structures more al. (1981) on A. aestivalis (Fab.) (Naucoroidea, accurately. Aphelocheiridae) from Europe. These authors studied specimens which had died and decom- MATERIAL AND METHODS posed slowly in their natural, cold water envi- ronment, where bacteria had destroyed all but Materials examined: 8 adults, Prov. cuticular structures, and so they were able to exa- Corrientes: Paso de la Patria 23.IX.1991, leg. M. L. mine extremely fine features under a scanning López Ruf. electronic microscope (SEM), so avoiding more The specimens were preserved in field with destructive procedures. They mention the radially 70% ethyl alcohol. For the examination with SEM arranged canalicula, previously described by the abdominal sternites were immersed in a mixture Szabó-Patay (1924), which converge to the of 96oGL ethyl alcohol (70%), ethyl acetate (20%), spiracles, perimetrally formed only by plastronal and benzene (10%) and cleaned for four minutes setae, and which centripetally become deeper and in an ultrasonic cleaner. For the examination of the deeper until they close as tubes. These tubes, inner surface the soft tissues were removed by leading to the spiracular atrium, are well visible at keeping the sternites five days in 5% potassium the inner surface of the sclerite. In addition, they hydroxide at room temperature, neutralized with mention a very thin subcuticular space beneath alcohol-phenol, and washed with abundant tap tergites and sternites, including the thoracic ones water. As this procedure did not result in a and those of the head. This space is internally satisfactory cleanness, some specimens were put limited by an extremely thin ‘chitinous’ membrane, in pond water for three days, in order to inoculate which would be destroyed by strong treatment. them with saprophytic bacteria, rinsed with tap The above mentioned space connects to the outer water, and left therein for nine months; in winter surface (to the plastron) through extremely fine they were put in a laboratory stove at 30-32oC, so campaniform (bell-shaped) holes, with the widest facilitating bacterial action. This method was diameter at the outer side, and is also connected intended to preserve the delicate cuticular to the remaining of the tracheal system through fine structures, which would be deteriorated with the and medium-sized tracheae. These authors do not alkali technique, which is faster but more aggressive. explain the origin of this membrane, whose nature Finally, they were metallized with gold-palladium must be searched out by other methods. In and photographed with a SEM Jeol T 100. In Rev. Brasil. Biol., 60(2): 267-273 VENTILATORY STRUCTURES IN Cryphocricos barozzii SIGNORET 269 addition the material was examined and at its base by a small socle and arranged in more photographed with an environmental scanning or less regular rows. In the plastron some irregularly electronic microscope (ESEM), which operates at shaped, small areas devoid of foliose setae are high pressure, and allowed us to better analyze seen, regularly arranged near the spiracles. Some delicate structures. of the modified setal types described by these For the examination of the cleared materials authors were also observed, covering the abdomi- with the optic microscope, the abdominal segments nal venter. of alcohol-fixed specimens were removed, the At longitudinal histological sections of the sternites and latero-tergites were treated with hot spiracle (Fig. 1) a series of canalicula formed by 5% sodium hydroxide, washed with tap water, radially arranged cuticular foldings was observed neutralized and dehydrated for 15 minutes with (Fig. 2) (in transverse sections they look like a alcohol-phenol, and cleared and mounted in rosette), covered by fine plastronal air-conveying creosote. setae. Some specimens were fixed in field for 18 In cleared preparations a festooned scar-like hours in Bouin mixture and preserved in 70% ethyl structure was observed in relation to the spiracle alcohol; thereafter, they were dehydrated in alcohol and its outer connection, formed by the tightest of increasing concentrations